


The Best Worst Anniversary

by Rinusagitora



Series: HitsuKarin Week 2016 [1]
Category: Bleach
Genre: F/M, HitsuKarin Week 2016, Minor HitsuKarin, Minor YuzUru, Other, Platonic Female/Female Relationships, Shinigami!Karin, minor kirahina
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-20
Updated: 2016-04-20
Packaged: 2018-05-31 02:20:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6451627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rinusagitora/pseuds/Rinusagitora
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's one of the worst anniversaries of her life, but it's not entirely bad.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Best Worst Anniversary

**Author's Note:**

> HitsuKarin Week? Don't you mean Platonic KarinHina Week? I would apologize but I'm shameless concerning these two.

She combed through the fringe on the side of her temple with her matte manicure-- Yuzu’d talked her into it, she recalled. It was her and Toushirou’s seventh anniversary together and she _deserved_ to look like a damn film star, her twin had argued, so she’d dragged her and Ururu to the salon in the mall that afternoon--, crossed her ankles under her chair, and glanced out the window to the scenery outside. Tokyo was _beautiful_ at night, she thought, and especially from her vantage point in a skyscraper.

But he was late, she thought, and her worry soured the beauty. Toushirou, the _most_ punctual individual she'd ever known, was late by an entire hour and a half. She knew he wouldn’t have stood her up because his paperwork load increased or he just ‘forgot’ or some other shitty excuse, and she was worried that _something_ she didn’t want to express lest she jinx it had happened to her lover.

She glanced at her phone then sighed at her unanswered texts. Three, one sent every twenty-five minutes. No reply from him since three days prior when he’d wished her a happy birthday.

She heard the chair opposite of her scratch against the parquet. Her head whipped up in her hopefulness, and then shoulders drooped as her disappointment washed over her.

"You're definitely not my boyfriend." She sighed, and the brunette across from her shook her head sympathetically.

"No, unfortunately. He apologizes though-- Toushirou. There was... an emergency. He sent me here to keep you company. I’m sure it’s embarrassing sitting here alone in such a nice restaurant." The stranger explained vaguely.

She knit her eyebrows together then leaned forward, as did the stranger. "What happened? Is he okay?" She murmured.

"To my knowledge, he’s perfectly fine outside of being annoyed that he’s missing his anniversary. He was sent out on an emergency mission. I'm not savvy to the details as a lieutenant, but that alone tells me it's bad." She explained, and she watched as her chocolate-brown eyes softened. "Don't worry, Kurosaki-chan. I promise he'll be alright. He’s not stupid enough to fuck himself up."

She smiled then at the stranger as they pulled away. “Alright, I’ll trust that. Will I be able to see him later tonight? Or maybe tomorrow?”

“Possibly. It depends on how quickly he can wrap this up.” She responded. "I'm Momo, by the way. I'm his older sister." She watched as Momo propped her chin up on the back of her hand. “Nice to finally meet you, Kurosaki-chan.”

"Wait..." She said then. "Momo Hinamori? Like... _the_ Momo Hinamori? Expert kidou user and greatest fire-type zanpakutou user since the late Yamamoto-soutaichou himself?"

Momo blinked slowly then before she snickered behind her hand. "Well, that was the last reaction I expected." She watched as she combed her fingers through her coffee-black ringlets. "But yes, that's me. Granted, I've married so I'm Momo Kira now---" She glanced at the gold wedding band on her finger as Momo held up her hand, "but yes. After I acheived bankai, I've been regarded as one of the most powerful shinigami currently amongst the captain-level shinigami. It's just that I'm creative with my abilities."  
She clapped her hands over her mouth then and muffled her uncharacteristic squeal, but she was so _excited_. "I cannot describe how much I look up to you, Kira-san. I've recently obtained shikai myself and I hope to one day be as powerful as you are! Your kidou abilities are amazing and all you did in the Winter War is _inspiring_. This is an honor, oh my _god!_ " She giggled bashfully then as Momo stared wide-eyed at her in astonishment. Oh, she was so starstruck that she'd run her tongue but she couldn’t contain herself in the presence of her idol.

"I'm... not sure how to respond to that, truthfully. I've never been told that." Momo chuckled. "Thanks, though. Glad to know that mess has helped somebody. Truthfully, fourteen years later and I'm still reeling. It’s unbelievable."

"You were amazing, and every sane individual I've talked to has agreed. The ones who tell you otherwise are ignorant." She said.

"My husband says the same. I'm slowly relearning how to treat myself kindly." Momo motioned a waitress to them then. "Caviar as an appetizer, and this beef fillet."

"I'll get the fillet too, please" She added.

"Of course. Anything to drink?"

"Espresso," Momo responded.

"I'm fine with water."

"Alright, I'll have your order ready for you soon." She smiled, and she watched as their waitress turned her gaze to her. "I'm sorry that your date stood you up, Onee-chan. I hope you and your friend have fun."

She sighed then. "An emergency is an emergency. You do what you gotta."

She watched as their waitress bowed and strode away for the kitchen, and she leaned back in her seat.

"So, Kurosaki-chan, how about you tell me about your shikai?"

"Her name is Nashien and her release command is ‘roast that which hinders me’. Released, she's a serrated blade about as long as my arm and lights herself on fire. Instead of cutting though whoever-- or whatever, more often-- my target is, she burns through them like hot butter. I'm currently exploring ranged attacks with Toushirou. I would train with somebody in Karakura, but my brother isn’t a very good teacher and Urahara-shouten creeps me out." She scrunched her nose as she thought back to first and last time she trained there. She felt bad for Ururu and Jinta-- they had to work for him...

"She sounds fascinating, I can't wait for you to discover more." Momo smiled at her then, and she leaned back and clapped her hands together jovially as their waitress set their appetizer between them. "Oh, that simply looks delicious!"

"Enjoy your food. Your entrée should be out soon." Their waitress said, and they nodded in response.

"I still have yet to learn any kidou.” She confessed then. “I mean, Toushirou's trying, he is, but it's just not clicking like hakudou and zanjutsu. He must be so frustrated with me..."

"If it's any consolation, my dear friend Renji Abarai has been a shinigami for as long as I have and he still can't even perform low-level kidou. You're a beginner, Kurosaki-chan. You can't expect miracles from yourself."

She frowned then. "If my brother can achieve bankai in three days---"

"Your brother's kidou is just as bad as Abarai-kun's. Kidou isn't a necessity, it's another tool at our disposal. You can make it as a shinigami without it." Momo snorted. "And if anybody pushes their shitty expectations on you because you’re Ichigo’s little sister, flip them finger and tell them it's from me. You're your own individual, Karin. You shouldn’t be compared to Ichigo."

She stared wide-eyed at Momo in her astonishment, and she pinched her lacrimal ducts before she teared up. "Thanks," she said then, and she smiled widely at Momo. "I can't tell you how much that means to me, especially coming from you."

"Of course." Momo returned her gesture, and she leaned forward on her elbows. "How about this? Come visit me between this Saturday and Tuesday-- whenever's best for you-- and I'll teach you a thing or two that I’ve learned along the way. Who knows, it could help you."

Her heart soared then and she smiled widely, and she nodded enthusiastically. "Yes!" She responded in her elation. "I would be honored to, Kira-san!"


End file.
